Caisse populaire celebrates 12 months of North Bay

CaisePopulaire

Éric Foisy, president of Caisse populaire North Bay limitée, left, André Cotteral, director of Near North Palliative Care Network and Norm St.Amour, General Manager Caisse populaire North Bay limitée during the Nov. 21 presentation of money raised from corporate sponsorship of the 2013 calendar.

NORTH BAY – Caisse populaire has put a new spin on the traditional courtesy calendar, and it’s meeting with rave reviews.
“We’ve been giving free calendars to our customers for years,” said Caisse populaire North Bay President Èric Foisy. “For 2013 we decided to do something different, something that not only celebrates the beauty of our local surroundings but also provides assistance to a local non-profit group doing good work in the community.”
At the suggestion of its staff, Caisse popular approached its clients and asked them to submit photos they had taken of the area for consideration for the calendar’s artwork. While the calendars remain a free gift, they are no longer generic, with the company logo stamped on.
“The calendars are now unique to our branch, to the area we service,” said Foisy, “and they feature the work of our clients.”
The calendar also has pre-marked days of significance to North Bay, including Summer in the Park and other seasonal celebrations taking place in the region highlighted throughout the year, as well as Ontario events, like Franco Ontarian Day
But localizing the product was only part of the project.
“At the same time, we approached some of our generous commercial customers to see it they wanted to sponsor a month, with their donation going directly to Near North Palliative Care Network, a local non-profit group that provides compassionate support for the terminally ill,” said Foisy.
The calendar was launched on November 21, “and everyone was very, very pleased,” Foisy said. “In fact, I think we’ve started something huge here. We already have people waiting to be sponsors for next year, and photos ready to go too.”
Caisse populaire will choose a new charity for every year the local calendars are produced.
“This is just one way we can help local non-profits,” Foisy said. “Non profit organizations that have their accounts with us in North Bay also pay no service fees. That’s another way we contribute.
“It’s important to assist these kinds of groups in their efforts to keep helping the community,” he said.
At the calendar’s unveiling, Caisse populaire also presented palliative care with a cheque for $2,400, raised by the sponsorship.
The 2013 calendar showcases a variety of locations, including the North Bay Waterfront, Trout Lake and the Legion’s War Memorial Cenotaph, as well as local wildlife and nature.
Story by Laurel J. Campbell lcampbell@metrolandnorthmedia.com